What is it
To lift in English means to lift, so the facelift is a high plastic surgery that aims to lift the tissues that have relaxed and have lost tone due to aging. This is in order to rejuvenate the appearance of the face.
With the deep lift, properly called ritidectomy, excess skin is eliminated, the underlying muscles are reshaped, especially under the chin, on the sides of the mouth and on the cheeks.
Where necessary, fat is removed or volume is added, thanks to the autotransplantation of adipose tissue, in the emptied areas. The face appears more compact, turning back time by about ten years.
Finally, the use of your own fat as a filler is also effective in terms of improving the quality of tissues, being a source of stem cells with considerable regenerative potential.
How to do it
The surgeon makes incisions on each side of the face in areas close to the hairline, so that any scars remain hidden by them.
Then it lifts the skin and stretches it removing its excess. In some cases, it is also possible to tone the underlying muscle bands.
The volumetric lift, in addition to the repositioning of the skin, aims to integrate the subcutaneous tissues.
The operation, which can last several hours, is performed under general or local anesthesia and requires a convalescence period of at least two weeks.
The scars are mostly hidden in the hair, above and behind the ears. The final result will be visible after two or three months.
Results
The lifting eliminates or greatly reduces the signs of the aging process, giving harmony, tone and compactness to the contours of the face.
The result varies from person to person and is conditioned by the type of skin, the damage produced by solar radiation or smoke, the underlying bone structure and a variety of other factors, primarily the genetic one.
It is correct to clarify that deeper wrinkles cannot be eliminated, but will be greatly reduced.
Complications
It is a safe intervention, now almost routine, with minimal risk of complications.
Among the rare events, the formation of small blood decanting, which however reabsorbs naturally or can be easily drained, infections, which can be treated with antibiotics.
It is also possible that a nerve responsible for a part of the face is damaged, resulting in paresis of the muscle innervated by this which, however, spontaneously returns to its normal function within a few months (permanent damage is very rare).
Contraindications
They are very few. Those who smoke a lot, in practice over 20 cigarettes a day, are at risk of bad healing.
Other contraindications are represented by serious diseases, such as heart and vascular problems, which do not allow surgical interventions in general.
Practical tips
Between the fifth and seventh day after surgery, the plastic surgeon removes some stitches, between the tenth and fifteenth the remainder.
In these weeks, it is necessary to sleep keeping your head high, avoid sudden movements of the neck and foods that require laborious chewing.
You should avoid exposure to the sun and UVA lamps for at least one month after surgery. At this stage, the skin needs rest and, in addition, should be helped with specific moisturizers.
Beware of makeup: only hypoallergenic cosmetics should be used, tested to minimize the risk of irritation. Men are advised to be cautious when shaving.
Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.
The blog covers a wide range of topics related to health and wellness, with articles organized into several categories.